Choker Cable Size Recomendation

[sdef]

Another vote for a Brush Grubber. I have the BG-11 and prefer it over chain alone, as chain tends to slip to find the angle it wants to ride at, while the BG grabs where one places it. Although it does slip sometimes, usually due to loose bark or the teeth being clogged from a previous pull and not removed.

I carry 2 each, 10' lengths of 5/16" G70 chain with grab hooks for general purpose, every day lifting and tugging, and 1 each, 14' length of 3/8" G43 chain with slip hooks for the Brush Grubber. 5/16" is more than I require, but provides the margins I want and the 3/8" is just because I had it laying around and is a good length for the Brush Grubber.

Here is how I carry my chains, which makes them neat, safe and easy to access. Since, I replaced the 3/8" steel cable on my Jeep's winch with synthetic, I have the cable rigged in case I have to pull a downed tree that is hung up or something, but hope to never have to use it. I really do not like working with steel cable for the reasons already specified here by others.

 

[Gary Fowler]

No matter how you slice it, using a chain, cable, brush grubber hooks etc is still a lot of on and off the tractor work when doing it by yourself. You will have to get on and off the tractor at least twice for each stub or tree assuming that it doesn't slip off during the process. I did a bunch of small sapling pulling using my RTV simply because it was much easier to get on and off of and pull a chain but it was still a lot of work dragging the chain back to hook up each sapling and moving the pulled up piece by hand so I could get to the next sapling.
Man did I make an easy job of it when I got my backhoe with hydraulic thumb. Just thinking about it makes me wish I had some more thickets to clear out.

 

[sdef]

No matter how you slice it, using a chain, cable, brush grubber hooks etc is still a lot of on and off the tractor work when doing it by yourself. You will have to get on and off the tractor at least twice for each stub or tree assuming that it doesn't slip off during the process.

Agreed. Working alone is a PITA if one needs to do a lot of this type of work- which I do. After a couple hours of on and off the tractor, I am spent. But a hoe is not in my budget.

 

[sparc]

wire rope does not like to play in the dirt.
it will get wet and sand will get in between the wires which will cause it to deteriorate mush faster than chain.
you'll buy three or more wire rope chokers before that chain wears out.
flexibility of wire rope is determined by the wire composition, basically more wires the more flexible it will be. the type of wire, lay, and core also factor into this.